Mighty Morphin Starfleet Rangers
by PencilGuardian
Summary: The bridge crew of the Enterprise are recruited by Zordon to become Power Rangers and defeat the evil Rita Repulsa. WARNING: crackfic!
1. Chapter 1

Lieutenant Billings crested the top of a rise and shielded his eyes. As far as he could see, the surface of Iota Draconis was barren but for thousands upon thousands of upthrusting crystalline pillars. Each one was unique in structure, and their gem-like facets reflected the orange sunlight in a display that made it seem as though the entire surface of the planet was on fire. That image, combined with the thin, hot wind that tugged at his Starfleet uniform and stole his breath, reminded Billings of the myths about Hell he'd heard as a child.

His communicator beeped. "_Base to Lieutenant Billings, come in_," a deep male voice crackled.

He plucked it off his belt and flipped it open. "Billings here."

"_Commander Osgood is requesting an update on your progress, Lieutenant._"

Billings squinted down at the tricorder in his other hand. "I've finished collecting data from sector four, am approaching sector five to begin downloading now." Shaking his head, he added, "The commander's not gonna believe some of the stuff these rocks know."

"_Tell me about it!_" the voice agreed enthusiastically. "_Just to warn you, atmospheric sensors are picking up a small meteor shower in our area, so proceed with caution._"

"Copy that, Base, will do. Billings out," he said, flipping his communicator shut. He cast a wary gaze upward, but the alien sky was as cloudless and pink-orange as always. He resumed his walk across the plain. He set his tricorder on a wide-beam scan, which was how one said "Hello!" on this planet. He watched the pattern of bounce-back for the specific energy spike that meant one of the pillars was feeling communicative.

Absorbed in his work, he barely sensed a small tremor pass through the ground. But then, he heard a distant rumble, like that of a shuttle or rocket approaching overhead. Billings stopped and looked up in time to see a large meteorite bearing down on his position. Heart in his throat, he dove behind a nearby pillar as the glowing piece of space debris screamed through the air and slammed into the ground only a few hundred meters away, like an exploding photon torpedo.

He huddled behind the pillar, protecting his head until the shock wave passed, bringing with it a gust of sand and grit. When he uncovered his ears, his communicator was beeping again. "_Base to Billings, we picked up an impact near your location. Are you okay?_"

Billings got up and made a beeline for the new crater. "Yeah, Base, I'm fine, but I'm sure there are a few pillars that aren't. I'm going to go see what I can salvage."

"_All right, but be careful. We'll send a hover car to bring you back. Commander Osgood is recalling all personnel to base until the meteor shower ends._"

"Understood. Billings out." He ran through the pillars towards the smoking hole, skidding to a stop at the crumbling edge. He estimated the crater to be at least twenty meters around, and smack dab in the center was the meteorite, still faintly glowing from the heat of atmospheric entry. It had such a strange shape to it that Billings was instantly intrigued. He carefully descended the walls of the crater, adjusting his tricorder settings to scan it. "What the - ?" he muttered to himself, staring at the results in surprise.

This was no ordinary meteor. According to the tricorder, it was a...well, a bucket. A stone bucket with a sealed lid. And, assuming the readings weren't getting influenced by background radiation, there was something alive inside. But only barely; the readings were very weak. Briefly, Billing's mind was filled with half-baked fantasies of saving an exotic alien princess and being commended and promoted for it. Fortunately, the tricorder showed that the bucket's exterior was cooling quite rapidly. Walking right up to the bucket, Billings dug his fingertips into the small crack under the lid and lifted with all his weight. The lid gave.

As soon as the seal was broken, Billings was blasted with a powerful plume of smoke. He reeled back from the meteorite, gasping for air. The smoke escaped from the bucket with a shrill hiss, but Billings heard something else escaping, too: unbelievably, it sounded like a shrieking laugh.

When the smoke cleared, Billings saw that he was no longer alone in the crater, but any notions of exotic alien princesses dissipated along with the haze. "Aaaahahahaha! After ten thousand years, I'm free!" the elaborately-garbed woman declared with a voice that hit Billings like nails on a chalkboard. She raised her staff towards the sky in triumph, and a bolt of lightning shot out, into the ground. "It's time to CONQUER THE UNIVERSE!"

Billings tried to back away, but he had loose footing in the disturbed soil. The woman spotted him and grinned with a hungry, deranged look on her face. She pointed her staff at him. "And _you _will be the first to serve me! How lucky you are!"

The last thing Billings knew was a beam of light from the woman's staff, coming directly at him.

* * *

Deep below the surface of Iota Draconis was a crystalline cavern that had lain dark and cold for millenia. Suddenly, the darkness was cracked in half by a split-second bolt of electricity. The sonic boom that followed it shook the cavern.

Then, slowly, a pale green light began to effuse out of the walls. Gradually, it was joined by a vague pinkish glow from the floor, and a blue one from the ceiling. The lumpy outcroppings of translucent mineral began to emit a white light of their own. The lights brightened steadily until the cavern was fully illuminated. Then, a small section of wall shifted to reveal an alcove. Within it was a chrome-plated humanoid robot. In place of eyes, the robot had a narrow visor across its face, which began to shine with yellow light. It shivered suddenly, and then, with a stiff, jerky gait, the robot stepped out into the cavern.

It made its way across the chamber to a ring of spiky crystals. The robot lifted a stiff arm, grasped one of the crystals, and moved it from its place below the center to a small hole along the side. The middle of the ring flared to life, displaying a rolling pattern of light bands. The robot jiggled the displaced crystal. The rolling pattern of light bands unified into a pixelated image of the surface of Iota Draconis.

The robot tapped its finger on a round, faceted gem below the screen, and the image switched to a view from the lip of a new crater. In the center was a stone bucket, its lid half off. The robot uttered a dismayed whistle and tapped the gem several more times. The vantage point shifted again until the image showed a white, domed building set on a plateau amidst the pillars. The robot gave the gemstone a twist, and the image zoomed in until the Starfleet command insignia was visible above the building's main entrance. The robot tapped the gem once more, and the image became a blurred visual from inside the building. It appeared to be a laboratory.

A woman stood in plain sight, wearing an elaborate, pointed headdress, large ornamental collar, and holding a vicious staff. The robot took hold of another pointed crystal and moved it. The woman's grating shriek of a voice began to echo through the chamber:

"_Instead of cursing Zordon for imprisoning me, I should thank him! He made me miss out on a lot of really good violence these past ten thousand years, but here, I can not only reconquer this planet, but I can launch invasions of all these other planets, too! Aaaahahahaha!_" the woman laughed almost giddily. She wandered around the laboratory, handling pieces of equipment with disdain until she came to a star map on one wall. "_United Federation of Planets, prepare to become my NEW EMPIRE!_" she squealed.

The robot tapped a second round gem, and the sound and image both turned off. The robot put its hands on either side of its head and turned to face the rest of the chamber. "Aye, yi, yi, yi, yi!" the robot exclaimed in a high-pitched, buzzing voice. It moved to a bank of crystals across the chamber and quickly rearranged them. On the wall beside it was another crystal-ringed viewing screen, only much larger than the first. A glowing, humanoid face began to coalesce on the screen. "Oh, Zordon!" the robot cried, "Rita has escaped!"

The face resolved completely, and a deep, male voice resonated through the chamber: "It is as I feared, Alpha. Rita remains bent on conquering the universe, and if she is not stopped, she will spread chaos and fear throughout the galaxy. Quickly, Alpha, ready the Power Coins."

"Yes, Zordon!" The robot, Alpha, moved to yet another grouping of crystals and made adjustments. A glowing spot on the wall opened up to reveal five large stalagmites, each a different color. Each had a small golden disc balanced on the tip. Alpha made another adjustment to the bank of crystals, and a bolt of energy zapped up and down the stalagmites. "The Power Coins are fully charged, Zordon!"

"Now, Alpha, comes the crucial step: you must seek out and recruit five youths with enough spirit and energy to effectively use the power of the coins!"

"Yes, Zordon! Scanning now," Alpha announced, shuffling to yet another crystal outcropping. After a few moments, the little chrome robot put its hands to its head again. "Aye, yi, yi, Zordon! It appears this planet is no longer inhabited! I can't find anyone who matches!"

"Then you must widen your scan beyond this world, Alpha. We _must _find a group of young people who can help us to protect the galaxy against Rita."

"Yes, Zordon," Alpha answered, shifting and tapping the crystals as quick as its jerky joints would allow. "Here, Zordon! I am detecting a group of lifeforms...but they are in open space! How strange!"

"We have awakened in a time where space travel exists, Alpha. This makes our task even more important. Bring the youths here, Alpha!"

"But Zordon, if my readings are correct, these are not the kind of _youths_ we have recruited before. What if they are not strong enough?"

"We will have to take that risk, Alpha. The future of the galaxy is depending on us!"

Alpha whistled uncertainly. "I was afraid you'd say that, Zordon. Very well."

* * *

"Iota Draconis, this is the USS _Enterprise, _please respond. I repeat, this is USS _Enterprise, _calling Federation Outpost Iota Draconis, do you read?" Communications officer Lieutenant Uhura slouched at her post as she spoke. She was far from inattentive, but after an hour of saying the same two sentences over and over again with no reply, it was hard not to feel a bit useless. She was silent, leaving the channel open, but as before nothing came through on her ear pod. She sighed.

In the center seat, Commander Spock turned his head and for a moment, their eyes met in sober understanding. The moment passed quickly, and Spock turned to the front of the bridge again. "Time to Iota Draconis, Mr. Chekov?" he asked.

"Entering _w_isual range in three minutes, sir," the young ensign at the navigation console answered, his words flavored with an accent - or was it a speech impediment? - that never failed to strike Spock as peculiar.

Spock thumbed a button on the arm of his chair. "Spock to Captain, we are approaching Iota Draconis."

Just then, the turbolift doors opened and a young man in a gold uniform strutted onto the bridge. "Thank you, Spock," the man said.

On any other man, the mixture of authority and confidence that seemed to ooze from his pores would have seemed like simple arrogance. Especially when he looked as young as James Kirk did. But for all his mischief and bluster, James Kirk had saved the Federation, and as he swept across the bridge towards the center seat, Lieutenant Uhura and everyone else automatically sat a little straighter. Spock got out of the center seat, and Kirk took his place with sprawling ease. There were few men in existence who seemed as made for command as Captain James T. Kirk.

"Uhura, any contact with the outpost?" Kirk asked.

"No sir, nothing."

"Are you sure they're getting our signal?"

Uhura didn't entirely suppress her how-stupid-do-I-look? reaction. "The channel is open, sir. I'm not picking up any signs of interference or malfunctions. They're just not answering."

Kirk directed his attention at Spock, who had taken up position at the science station. "How many people did you say are on that outpost?"

"According to Starfleet records, there should be eight."

"Wisual range in two minutes, Captain," Ensign Chekov reported.

"Sensors, Spock?" Kirk asked.

"Long-range scans confirm the existence and position of Iota Draconis exactly where it should be. I detect no other spacecraft, nor any evidence of cosmic or atmospheric disruptions."

Though Spock's words were spoken with the utmost clinical remove, Kirk couldn't help feeling a twinge of dread when he spoke of the "existence" of the planet. He remembered what happened to Vulcan with a vividness that wouldn't fade. They all did.

"Wisual contact with Iota Draconis in one minute, thirty seconds."

"Mr. Sulu, prepare to drop out of warp and put us in a stationary orbit over the outpost," Kirk ordered.

"Aye, sir."

"Captain, I am detecting a high-power energy beam on a collision course with - " Spock started to announce, when suddenly, he, as well as Kirk, Uhura, Chekov and Sulu were enveloped in a cloud of electricity, then vanished completely from their stations.

When they reappeared, it was in mid-air, and they fell ungracefully to the ground. Captain Kirk grimaced and sat up. He stared at his surroundings, taking in the pink, glowing floor and the green, crystal-studded walls.

" - the _Enterprise_...?" Spock finished his sentence with more than a hint of obvious bewilderment.

"...Captain?" Uhura said slowly, also looking around.

"Everybody all right?" Kirk asked, getting unsteadily to his feet.

"Aye," Chekov grunted, rubbing the back of his head. Sulu looked a bit dazed, but he nodded.

Spock had regained his footing, too, and helped Chekov and Sulu get up. Kirk offered a hand to Uhura.

"Oh, dear!" a buzzing, high-pitched voice wailed.

The Starfleet officers all turned to see a child-sized, chrome robot standing beside a mass of glass-like crystals, its hands on its head. "I'm sorry for the bad landing, Rangers! These sensors need recalibrating," the robot said in a clearly fretful tone.

Kirk opened his mouth for a salvo of questions.

"Greetings, humans!" a thunderous male voice boomed from the wall behind the robot. A distorted, but humanoid face appeared high in the wall, encircled by a ring of crystals. "I am Zordon, and this is Alpha-5, my loyal robotic assistant. At my command, Alpha has brought you here to join me in the battle to save the galaxy from evil. If you will look into the viewing screen, you will see that, above us, on the surface of this world, the evil empress known as Rita Repulsa has been freed from the prison I put her in over ten thousand years ago."

The robot shuffled to a bank of crystals to the right of the large glowing head and activated a smaller viewer.

"Iota Draconis!" Sulu exclaimed, as the white dome came into focus. The image switched to an interior view. A strange-looking woman was hunched over a laboratory table. She had white hair bound into two unruly horns on top of her head, and wore a massive, tattered ornamental collar over a dowdy, crinkled pink gown. She was surrounded by an assortment of unfamiliar equipment.

"Who - ?" Uhura began.

"Rita Repulsa, as she was colloquially known, a dangerous and powerful sorceress," Zordon reiterated. "Ten thousand years ago, she embarked on a campaign of terror and conquest that brought almost the entire known universe within her grasp. Only I, armed with five mystical Power Coins, was able to bring her reign of evil to an end. I built a prison and placed her in it, sentencing her to an eternity lost among the stars. But somehow she has managed to return, and her need for revenge against me is nearly as great as her lust to regain dominion over the universe. See how she is already using her powers to corrupt and desecrate life to suit her whim!"

The view of the lab shifted. A giant cage, clearly cobbled together from support struts and other pieces of the dome itself, took up a large portion of the room. Inside it were several bizarre, lumpy creatures. One of them suddenly threw itself at the bars. It was vaguely humanoid, with glowing red eyes, and it appeared to have some kind of bulky, rock-like exoskeleton. It opened its mouth, showing off rows of razor teeth.

But it was wearing a Starfleet uniform. The red shirt and black pants were in tatters, but the breast insignia was plainly visible. Chekov gasped, and Uhura covered her mouth with a hand. They could now see that all the other creatures were also garbed in Starfleet uniforms.

"My god," Kirk murmured. "There were eight people on that outpost."

"They are people no longer, made into tortured servants of Rita," Zordon said, his impressive voice softened with pain. "I am sorry. Rita's power is monstrous, and she has no regard for life. She must be stopped, or she will use this base to spread her destructive energies to every inhabited world in this galaxy. That is why I have brought you here. Together, you are destined to become the Power Rangers, the only force in the universe strong enough to defeat Rita."

On the opposite side of the chamber from the small viewing screen, a wall alcove opened to reveal five glassy, colored stalagmites: yellow, red, blue, black and green. Each spire was capped with a flat, golden disc bearing a unique, engraved symbol. Alpha walked over and plucked the discs from the spires and placed them on a small metal tray.

"These are the Power Coins. They draw their power from the vital energies of the physical universe, and you will each receive the coin with which your life energy is most compatible," Zordon continued. Alpha approached the five dumbfounded Starfleet officers, stopping in front of Ensign Chekov. One of the coins began to emit a green glow. Chekov reached out to touch it.

Kirk had doubts. "Don't touch that thing, Ensign, that's an order!" Kirk barked. Chekov jumped back from the tray as if it had burst into flame.

"James Kirk, you have concerns?" Zordon asked.

Kirk scoffed in disbelief. "Concerns? Yeah, a few. First of all, my ship was traveling at Warp speed towards Iota Draconis and you pulled my entire command crew off the bridge!"

"The _Enterprise _has achieved orbit safely, James. The situation was too serious to wait, but I would never have allowed my urgency to endanger your crew. I apologize for the disorientation you experienced."

Kirk and Spock exchanged looks.

"Yes, well, thank you for showing us what the problem is on our outpost, but we are officers in Starfleet, committed to protecting and exploring the territory of the United Federation of Planets," Kirk said.

Spock chimed in. "It is our intention to respect and safeguard the rights and freedoms of all beings we encounter in our travels. We understand your situation, but we simply cannot be your...Power Rangers. We have the full resources of the Federation at our disposal to deal with this crisis, and that is how we _must _deal with it. We are happy to render any assistance we can in the name of peace, as Starfleet officers."

"So, in the best interests of all of us, I'm asking you to return us to our ship," Kirk added.

"But you _can't _refuse!" Alpha squeaked, approaching him. "Rita must be stopped!"

Kirk's face darkened. "Believe me, after what she's done to the personnel on that outpost, she will be."

"Your patriotism is commendable, Captain James T. Kirk. No one deserves the Yellow Power Coin more than you - "

"No Power Coin, I'm sorry, Zordon. I already have my duty as a Starfleet officer. I can't serve you, too." (No matter how tempting the idea was starting to seem, he reminded himself.)

Zordon was silent for a moment. "Captain Kirk speaks for all of you?"

Uhura stepped forward. "He does."

Kirk felt reassured. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chekov and Sulu nod. For a machine, Alpha looked positively depressed.

When Zordon spoke again, there was a note of defeat in his voice. "I cannot fault your principles, however misguided and naive I believe them to be, nor would I force you to do that which you do not wish to. You will find Rita a formidable opponent, and though my long experience tells me you are doomed to failure, I wish you every success in the coming battle. Alpha and I will monitor the situation, and should you change your mind and wish to accept the Power Coins, we will be ready to equip you. Farewell."

And just like that, just as quickly as they had been snatched off the bridge of the _Enterprise, _Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Chekov and Sulu found themselves back on it again, albeit it once more in a heap on the floor.

"And they're back! Cancel the alert, tell security we found 'em," a peppy Scottish accent announced.

Kirk hauled himself off the floor to see his chief engineer standing by the center seat, looking a bit flustered. "Scotty! What're you doing here?" he quipped.

"What do you think? My Warp engines cut out, then I got a call from a pair of frantic ensigns telling me all the senior bridge officers have gone poof!into thin air seconds from planetary orbit. So naturally, I high-tailed it up here and quite dramatically prevented your ship from crashing into the atmosphere - you're welcome, by the way - just in time for you lot to conveniently pop back into existence. Sir."

"What happened, Jim? Where in the blue blazes did you go? You all right?"

Kirk smiled at his grizzled medical officer. "Yeah, Bones, fine. Uhura." Kirk paused by his chair and looked to Uhura, who was just settling in at her station.

"Sir?"

"Radio Starfleet, let them know we've arrived in orbit and are investigating the situation."

"Aye sir. Should I send code thirty nine?" Uhura asked cautiously.

Kirk considered that for a moment. Back on his bridge, surrounded by the familiar, it was easy to second guess what had happened in Zordon's cave. He glanced at Spock, who was tending to sensor sweeps and status reports with the unflappable aplomb of a man who had _not _just been waylaid to an alien lair in mid-sentence.

Spock cocked his eyebrow. "At this time, I do not believe we have sufficient evidence of that."

"Agreed. Standard coding, Lieutenant. Then call up a security team to meet me, Commander Spock, Lieutenant Sulu and Doctor McCoy in the briefing room, ASAP. And keep trying to raise the outpost, too. Hack into their security system if you have to. Mr. Scott, get me the schematics for the outpost on Iota Draconis and pipe them into the briefing room. Mr. Sulu, set up a synchronous orbit over the outpost before you head down. Spock, tell the armory to cough up some phasers," Kirk ordered breezily, as he headed towards the turbolift doors. He didn't notice Spock begin to follow him. "Mr. Chekov, you have the conn."

"Aye, sir," Chekov called over the din of officers obeying orders.

McCoy sidled up next to Scotty. "What's code thirty nine?"

After a moment's thought, Scotty gave McCoy a meaningful look and answered, "It means there's been an alien attack on a Starfleet installation."

"That's what I thought," McCoy rumbled.

"Captain!" Uhura cried, "We're receiving a signal from the outpost!"

Kirk skidded to a halt, causing Spock to nearly run into him. Kirk whirled around and headed back to his chair. "On screen."

The viewing screen switched from a placid image of Iota Draconis, to one of...

"Is that...?" Sulu began.

"That woman!" Chekov exclaimed. "I...think?"

"_Hello, little starship! I see you!_" her harsh voice shrieked over the speakers. Her exotic, wildly painted face filled the screen. "_How nice of the Federation to send such a fine vessel to escort me to my coronation! Aaaahahahaha!_"

Everyone stared at the screen. Scotty and McCoy were completely confused.

"I am Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship _Enterprise, _and I demand to know what you've done to our outpost and personnel," Kirk barked.

The woman's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, everyone on the bridge was subjected to a powerful electric shock, and they all convulsed in pain. "_That's no way to address your new ruler, my pretty little Captain-boy!_" the woman snarled. "_Show me proper respect next time, or I'll have to punish you the same way I did these insolents down here!_"

The electric shock subsided. Kirk and his crew struggled back to their posts.

"My god, Jim! Are those our people?" McCoy gasped.

Looking back at the viewing screen, Kirk found himself treated to something of a repeat of the horrible revelation he'd received in Zordon's lair. Rita sat on a ridiculously over-styled, improvised throne, and groveling all around her was a cluster of vaguely humanoid monsters. They were dressed in body armor that looked like playfully grotesque parodies of their Starfleet uniforms, leaving little doubt as to their original identities.

As for Rita herself, she scarcely resembled the frumpy lunatic Kirk had seen before. She had changed her own clothing to a shimmering, gold gown that resembled a Starfleet woman's dress tunic, and she had replaced her huge ornamental collar with a luxurious black cape. Her two-horned hairstyle remained, but it was sleeker and wrapped in gold and black to complement her new outfit. The insignia on her gown matched the alien symbol atop her staff. "_Luckily for you, Captain, your Empress Rita Repulsa is feeling generous. Surrender your ship and your crew to me now, and I'll let you keep that darling face of yours,_" she cooed threateningly.

Kirk could scarcely believe his eyes. He glanced at Spock, then back at the screen. "Not a chance, lady."

Spock stepped forward. "Madam," he intoned seriously, "You are acting in violation of Federation law. Desist at once, or we shall be forced to take action against you."

Rita's expression turned dangerous. "_How DARE you talk back to me! Your ship will be mine, Captain, you can't stop me!_" She thrust her staff towards him, and the tip sparked with power.

The _Enterprise _lurched sickeningly, throwing everyone from their station. The floor seemed to tilt strangely, and the bulkheads began to vibrate and squeal. Sulu barely managed to cling to his chair "Captain, we've lost our orbit and we're on a collision course with Iota Draconis. Something's pulling us down onto the planet!"

"Red alert! Mr. Sulu, full reverse. Make an emergency breakaway," Kirk cried, climbing back towards his seat.

The alarm began to sound throughout the ship.

"Engines not responding, Captain," Sulu reported.

The _Enterprise _pitched down, nearly throwing Kirk out of his chair again. "Scotty!"

Scotty staggered to the engineering monitor and slapped the controls. "I've got to get down there!"

"Go! Spock, how's she doing this?"

"Unknown, Captain, but we seem to be caught in some kind of artificial tidal force. We are entering the atmosphere. Outer hull is beginning to heat."

"Shields up! Uhura, pinpoint that transmission. Mr. Chekov, target phasers."

"You want to fire on our own outpost, sir?" Chekov asked incredulously.

"I want to fire on _her_!" Kirk snapped, waving a hand towards the screen. Rita was still pointing her staff and laughing psychotically, though it was hard to hear her over the stressed whine and rumble of the ship.

"Aye, sir! Targeting phasers," Chekov said.

"Shields are at maximum, but hull temperature is still rising," Spock reported.

"Chekov, fire!"

"Firing phasers!" Chekov confirmed. The view screen changed to show two beams of energy fly from the ship towards the surface of Iota Draconis. "Direct hit on the outpost, sir."

"_Aaaahahahaha!_" Rita screeched. "_Your little energy beams are no match for me, Captain! Before I take over your ship, I will truly enjoy destroying all of you!_"

"No change, Captain, we're still falling fast," Spock said.

Suddenly, the ship shuddered again, but the floor actually leveled off a bit.

"Captain, we're stabilizing," Sulu remarked.

"Can we leave orbit?"

Sulu punched a few buttons and shook his head. "No sir, we're still being pulled downward, but I think I can put us into a decaying orbit."

"Do it."

"_Fight all you want, you puny sacks of carbon, but you are doomed! I shall enjoy watching you writhe and sweat in fear before the end comes!_" Rita shrieked.

"Uhura, cut her off!" Kirk snapped.

"_Engineering to bridge,_" Scotty said.

Kirk thumbed a switch. "Bridge."

"_We're resisting the pull with everything we've got, Captain. Whatever that witch has grabbed us with, it's too powerful. We haven't got enough juice to achieve a stable orbit, let alone reach escape velocity. The best I can do for now is slow our fall for a wee while. Boosting thrusters and engines are going full power, and I've had to tie in the auxiliaries and comprise shields and weapons just to get that much. _"

"How long, Scotty?"

"_Assuming Mr. Sulu is able to work his magic at the helm, maybe an hour at most before we burn out._ _And up, as it were._"

Kirk rolled his eyes. "What about ejecting and detonating the Warp core?"

"_Theoretically, aye, that might give us enough oomph to break free, but it'd also ignite the planet's atmosphere, which would cook us, as well as the entire surface of the planet, just as thoroughly as an uncontrolled reentry would._"

Kirk sighed. "Alternatives?"

The comm was quiet for a moment. "_I'll have to get back to you on that, sir._"

"All right, Scotty, do your best." Kirk rubbed his face, mind racing. "What about photon torpedoes?" he said to the bridge at-large.

"Likely just as ineffective, Captain, since our phasers made no impact. Clearly, Rita's power is every bit as formidable as we were warned," Spock said, his implication obvious.

"So it seems," Kirk agreed reluctantly. He saw Sulu and Chekov exchange a look, and he didn't need to turn to know that Uhura was probably thinking the same thing.

McCoy's jaw dropped. "You were _warned? _How? What's going on, here, Jim?"

Kirk avoided eye contact. "When we were taken away, we were told about Rita and offered assistance to defeat her. It seemed too incredible to believe at the time. But now - "

The view screen flickered, and a giant, greenish, glowing head appeared. "_I am greatly relieved to see that you have changed your mind, James,_" the head thundered. "_Alpha will bring all of you here in a moment. Together, we shall defeat Rita and save your ship, as well as the galaxy._"

Kirk stood. Chekov and Sulu followed suit, and he sensed Spock and Uhura flank him, ready. He looked over at McCoy and thumbed the comm. switch on his chair. "Scotty, get back up here, you have the conn. Bones, work with Scotty to keep us in orbit as long as possible. Spock, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu and myself are going down there to handle this, but if you and Scott find a way to get out of here, take it, understand?"

"And what about you?" McCoy demanded.

"If we're successful, I imagine we'll find our way back here just like before." Kirk turned to address the view screen. "All right, Zordon, let's try it your way."


	2. Chapter 2

This time, when the five of them materialized in Zordon's lair, they were only a couple centimeters off the floor, so while they still wobbled on their feet, they didn't end up in a heap like before.

"Old, corroded crystals!" the Alpha-5 robot whined anyway. Then it shuffled over to the exposed stalagmites and again approached the Starfleet officers with the tray of Power Coins, except now each coin was set into a hand-sized device of some kind.

"These are your Power Morphers," Zordon intoned. "When the time comes, you must grasp them and call upon the source of your energy. Doing so will instantly imbue you with the power necessary to defeat Rita. You will receive protective body armor and will find yourselves in possession of great strength, stamina, agility and fighting ability. Your reflexes will be quicker, and your resistance to injury, considerable. When the crisis is over, you will de-morph back into your regular selves. Step forward, my children, and claim your Power Coins."

They lined up at attention in front of Alpha. Alpha drew near Sulu first, and a coin began to glow bluishly.

"Hikaru Sulu," Zordon intoned, "You are courageous and loyal. Your inquisitive nature and willingness to serve others, coupled with your skill with the blade and your calm discipline in the face of danger, have earned you the blue Power Coin. Your weapon will be the Sapphire Sword. Take your coin, Blue Ranger."

Sulu shot an uncertain glance at Kirk, then cautiously picked up the morpher and its glowing coin. A blue arc of energy shot up his arm and raced down his body, startling him. He looked at the others, wide-eyed. "I'm okay," he said.

"Pavel Andreievich Chekov," Zordon continued as Alpha sidestepped Sulu to stand before the ensign, "you have a keen and eager mind and an adventuring spirit. Your optimism and creative thinking go hand-in-hand with your youth and vigor. The green Power Coin is now yours, and with it, the Jade Staff. Take your coin, Green Ranger."

Chekov swallowed and picked up his morpher, receiving a jolt of green light. Alpha moved in front of Uhura.

"Nyota Uhura, you have both fire and compassion within you, and combined with your sensibility and perceptive nature, you will be a vital link between your teammates. Your name means 'star of freedom,' so I present you with the Red Power Coin, and the Ruby Throwing Stars. Use them wisely, Red Ranger."

Uhura took her morpher, bracing herself for the charge of energy. Spock was next, and one of the two remaining power coins began to glow with a weirdly dark aura when Alpha approached.

"Spock," Zordon said. "The Black Power Coin has chosen you. Like the volcanic rocks of your home world, you have great strength and your intellect is as sharp and exacting as a jagged blade. But just as they were forged in the chaos and heat of the volcano, your calm exterior masks deep passions that, if controlled, will serve you well. By harnessing the Obsidian Power, your mind and body will become your weapon. Take your coin, Black Ranger."

Spock did so, and didn't so much as flinch at the dark zap of energy that passed over him. Finally, Kirk found himself looking down at Alpha, and the last golden coin on the tray glowed brightly.

"James Kirk: you are that rare person who has been born to be a leader of men, and that is a quality of great value across the universe. It is only right that you should join with the Yellow Power Coin and wield the Golden Gun. As with that rare element, however, you are only at your strongest and best when united with others. Take your coin, Yellow Ranger, and lead the Power Rangers to victory." Kirk took the morpher in hand, and an arc of yellow light raced through his body. It was a mild shock, energizing in a way. "Now, Rangers, you can match Rita, and are the only hope of defeating her. Alpha will transport you to the surface. Good luck."

Kirk nodded. "Thanks, Zordon."

Alpha moved to one of the crystal banks. "Hang on, Rangers. I'll get the hang of this teleporter, yet!"

Kirk exchanged a concerned look with Uhura, and Chekov tensed up. Then, with a wash of bright white light, they all found themselves standing on the windswept, crystal-studded surface of Iota Draconis. A few hundred feet in front of them stood the outpost, but it no longer looked like the economical white dome they'd been expecting.

While Kirk surveyed the place tactically, Chekov and Sulu gaped in astonishment, and Uhura looked disgusted, Spock passed a thoughtful eye over the impressive, towering construct before them and arched an eyebrow. "Might I suggest, Captain, that we have discovered a weakness in our opponent?"

"Huh, Spock?" The place looked like a nasty, spine-covered fortress that reminded Kirk a little too strongly of a half-buried _Narada._

"Rita seems prone to indulging in displays of extreme material excess. It is possible that these displays are intended to make us believe that her power is greater than it actually is."

"How do you figure that?" Sulu asked.

"Thusly, Mr. Sulu: Rita was apparently able to take over our outpost in a matter of minutes and completely transform eight humans into vicious, servile creatures of her own design." Spock ticked off one finger. "Then, she was able to exert a powerful gravitational force of sufficient power to endanger the _Enterprise, _and remake both herself, the interior and the exterior of the outpost to what we see before us, all in a similarly short period of time." He ticked off two more fingers. " Also, consider that all this required her to literally reorder matter on the subatomic level in order to produce the materials she desired. All of this would seem to indicate that she has nearly unlimited energy resources. But if this were so, then why did she not bring the _Enterprise _under her complete control instantly as well?"

"You heard her, Mr. Spock," Chekov said, scowling, "she's evil. She wants to watch us suffer."

"Illogical, Ensign. Rita wants to use the _Enterprise _to facilitate her conquest of the Federation," Spock countered. "While she does have a penchant for gloating, it, like the rest of her actions so far, have all been extremely efficient and calculated for expedience. There is no logic in her sudden choice to toy with the _Enterprise_ other than as a front to hide the fact that she is nearing the functional limits of her power."

Uhura crossed her arms. "You mean that Rita's weakness is multitasking?"

"Potentially, yes."

Kirk started to wonder how he'd managed to accomplish anything before he met the Vulcan. "That sounds like a hypothesis worth testing, Spock."

"If we split our attacks up, and distract her enough, then she might be forced to let the _Enterprise _go," Sulu suggested with a devilish upturn to his mouth.

"More than that, she might leave herself vulnerable to attack. Okay, that's what we're going to do. I'm going to confront Rita directly, while you four go in and do as much damage as you can to her facilities. It's possible she may have technology that's responsible for the attack on the ship, so make it a priority to find and disable it, as well as any power sources you find."

"Yes, sir," Uhura said.

"Aye," Chekov nodded eagerly.

Sulu and Spock agreed, as well.

"Okay, it's morphing time." They all lifted their power morphers. Kirk drew a deep breath. "Golden Power!"

"Sapphire Power!"

"Ruby Power!"

"Jade Power!"

"Obsidian Power."

The transformation happened in a matter of seconds. Their bodies were engulfed in colored bolts of energy. Their cloth uniforms became thin, flexible, armored body suits, each one brightly colored in accordance with the wearer's Power Coin. They sprouted white gloves for their hands and white, knee-high boots, and helmets with seemingly opaque visors that completely protected their faces. The morphers disappeared from their hands and became the center piece of their breast plates.

"Whoa, look at us!" Sulu exclaimed, revealing the helmets' built-in comm.

"I feel wery powerful in this," Chekov said. He bent down and picked up a broken piece of crystal, and crushed it to powder in his gloved fist. "Amazing! I wonder what else these suits can make us do?"

Kirk felt his senses instantly sharpen, and even though he could see the dark visors of his friends' helmets, he could see through his own as if it weren't even there. He focused on Uhura, and suddenly found himself visualizing her pulse rate, body temperature and other data, as if his eyes had become tricorders.

"Nice heart rate, Uhura. I can tell you work out," Kirk quipped. It was true; Uhura looked _fantastic_ in her Red Ranger suit. She put a hand on her hip.

Spock stepped between them. "And I can detect an acceleration in your glandular activity, Captain," he said pointedly. "It seems we are equipped with a telepathic sensory array akin to a 'Heads-Up Display.'" He turned to regard the monstrous edifice in front of them, and Kirk did the same. "Yes, I am receiving detailed information on the molecular and structural integrity of this building, and I can now see several points that are radiating enough energy to be openings of some kind." He turned to face Kirk. "Captain, I believe our best strategy is to infiltrate Rita's base from multiple points, catching her unaware. Mr. Sulu and I can enter from a gap I am detecting near the ground on the far side. Lieutenant Uhura and - "

"Aye! Aye! Aye!"

Spock, Kirk, Uhura and Sulu all turned to see that Chekov had started to perform a series of handsprings, launching himself higher and faster with each one until he vaulted half as high as Rita's fortress.

"Ensign, will you please try to contain yourself?" Spock asked loudly.

Chekov tumbled to a stop. "Sorry, sir, I was performing a field test," he said breathlessly, brushing dirt from his green suit.

Kirk had an idea. "Spock, any openings higher up?"

"Yes, there is a sizable gap at the geometric midpoint."

"Perfect! Chekov, if you can jump that high again, I want you to try and slip in through the top. Uhura, go with him. With Spock and Sulu coming up from the bottom, Rita won't know where the next attack is coming from. I'll go in the main entrance." Kirk's hand drifted down to his belt, where he felt his Golden Gun resting in its holder. He saw that Uhura had several shiny red throwing stars affixed to her belt, and Sulu and Chekov each had a weapon strapped across their backs. Spock, however, had no visible weaponry at all. But Kirk wasn't worried. "We have just under an hour to wreck this place enough to free the _Enterprise._ Good luck, team. Now let's make some mayhem!"

* * *

Rita Repulsa stared intently into her viewing globe at an image of the U.S.S. _Enterprise, _its underside beginning to glow orange from atmospheric friction. She was sprawled across her makeshift throne, but one foot tapped the arm of her chair impatiently. One of her deformed monster-men limped over to her, carrying a tray loaded with fruits, which it offered nervously. She selected a berry and put it in her mouth.

Suddenly, she scowled, spat, and kicked the creature viciously. "They're _bitter_, you incompetent blunderer!" she screamed. "Can't you idiots get a stupid plant right?" She picked up the tray and hurled it against the wall, growling in frustration. She grabbed her staff and aimed it at the viewing globe. The tip of her staff glowed dimly. "_C'mon_, you worthless hunk of metal! FALL!"

Before Rita could indulge her tantrum further, she felt a small tremor, and a chain of bells dangling along one wall started sounding off. "What's that?" She aimed her want at the viewing globe again. What she saw made her forget all about the _Enterprise. _"POWER RANGERS! THERE ARE POWER RANGERS IN MY FORTRESS!" she shrieked as two diminutive figures, one red and one green, were seen to drop onto a crystal support strut halfway up the exterior of her building. Rita backed away from the globe, looking around in paranoid terror. "Zordon!" she gasped. Regaining her composure slightly, she shouted angrily at the ceiling, "Zordon, you follow me like a curse! The universe is _mine, _I tell you! MINE!"

Whimpering incoherently, she grabbed the groveling creature she'd kicked a moment ago and forced it to its feet. "Don't just lie there! _Get them!_" She pointed at the globe. "Tear them APART! No, wait!" She picked up her staff again, fumbling it with trembling fingers, and touched the tip to the creature.

The creature howled and convulsed as it suddenly sprouted spines all over its body, gaining almost a meter in height. The lights in the throne room flickered. "NOW get them!" Rita ordered frantically. The beast howled again and appeared to curl up on itself until it was a massive, spiky ball. It began to glow, and then shot from the room like a meteor.

* * *

Uhura knelt by the gap in the crystals and watched as Ensign Chekov dropped down into a corridor, landing in a cat-like crouch. His green suit reflected dully off the crystal walls. After a moment's pause, he gestured up at Uhura, then ducked and rolled towards a jutting crystal.

Uhura dropped in silently behind him, sensed around, too, then calmly walked over to join him. She glanced back and shook her head in awe. "With jumps like that, who needs a transporter?"

"I sense an updraft coming from that way," Chekov said, pointing ahead. "Probably access to the lower lewels." He peeked out from behind the crystal, then ducked and rolled across the corridor to hide behind another outcropping. He waved Uhura over.

She sighed and walked towards him again. "Who taught you stealth, Chekov? A twentieth century cowboy?"

"No! I'm just testing to see how strong and flexible these suits are," the ensign insisted, his teenage voice cracking earnestly.

"Riiight," Uhura said, smirking inside her helmet.

Before Chekov could argue his point, a large portion of the ceiling caved in. Uhura reacted automatically and back flipped clear. When she landed, she saw that Chekov had rolled out of the way of a large piece of debris.

"RRAAAAAAWWWRRGGHH!" As dust clouds roiled upward, a massive creature unfolded itself from the wreckage. Its eyes glowed red, and it was completely covered with a wicked array of pointy spines. "RRRRRAAAAANGGERRRRS!" it bellowed. It picked up a huge piece of broken crystal and hurled it at Chekov, who was still righting himself.

"Chekov!" Uhura cried. He saw it come, but too late to do anything except brace for the impact.

Uhura saw the pair of glowing red throwing stars leave her glove and streak towards the rock before she even realized she'd thrown them. The piece of crystal exploded short of Chekov. Uhura leapt over to shield him, catching her throwing stars as effortlessly as she'd thrown them. "Hey!" she snapped at the creature, "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to throw things indoors?

"Yeah," Chekov added, standing at her side, "you might break something."

The creature roared again and pointed at Uhura. A half-dozen spikes shot off its arm towards her. She leapt clear. But Chekov stood his ground. He reached back, grabbed the short staff that had been strapped across his back and twirled it in front of him in an arc that deflected every one of the projectiles.

"Wow!" Uhura had to admit.

The creature uttered another loud, frustrated noise and drew itself into a ball, beginning to glow.

"Lieutenant, what's it doing?" Chekov wondered.

As if in answer, the creature began to zip around the corridor, slamming into one wall, then another like a deranged pinball. Chekov and Uhura barely evaded it as it pursued them. Uhura ducked as the creature slammed into the wall above her. She felt sharp and heavy bits of debris fall onto her back, and was grateful for the strong body armor clothing her. The creature rumbled and flew across the corridor, towards Chekov. She unleashed another salvo of throwing stars at it, but it didn't seem to do very much good. Chekov again rolled out of the way, and came up swinging his staff. He successfully shattered several of the creature's spines, but that only seemed to anger it more. Unexpectedly, it uncurled itself and grabbed Chekov around the throat and lifted him off the floor. Chekov gasped and struggled, but the creature's grip didn't waver.

Uhura threw every single throwing star she had at it, but it brushed them aside with its free hand and continued to throttle Chekov determinedly. "Chekov, hang on!" Uhura cried, trying to think of something else.

Prying at the creature's rock-like fingers, Chekov barely managed to get enough breath to gasp, "Aye, hanging!"

* * *

Spock and Sulu had slipped through a gap at the base of Rita's fortress with ease, and found themselves in a rather familiar room. "The outpost's main laboratory, I believe," Spock remarked, eyeing the overturned tables, shelves of broken equipment and supplies. The place looked like it had been first thoroughly ransacked, then subjected to a series of small, localized explosions.

"She sure didn't leave us much to do," Sulu remarked, kicking around the burnt-out husk of a computer console.

Spock extended his awareness beyond the laboratory. His naturally acute senses were magnified intensely by his helmet, and he perceived a collection of heat signatures at the end of the corridor beyond the laboratory. "There are life signs approximately one hundred and fifty meters in that direction."

"All I can sense is a single blob. Is it Rita?"

Spock intensified his focus, trying to pick up differences in the signatures. Instead, he found himself detecting faint whispers of awareness, fragmented wisps of thought. It was such a surprising discovery that it rendered him speechless. The only time he'd ever achieved telepathic contact with anyone without touching them had been the day that Vulcan died, when a single, unified scream had flashed through his mind, a distillation of billions of Vulcans facing their end. This time, there were fewer minds to read, but their fear and agony was almost as vivid.

Quelling the unease he felt, Spock probed further, sensing several broken, twisted consciousnesses. Their minds were in complete disarray, flashing from past to present, swinging from one emotion to another with an unexpectedness that made Spock feel slightly nauseous. No control from within, their logic and reason was shattered. But here and there, amid the psychological rubble, he detected pieces of clear thought: _"have to stop her." "Where am I?" "No." "I'm a Starfleet officer!"_

"Commander?" Sulu asked.

Spock was startled out of his near-trance, and was grateful for the helmet hiding his face as he tried to get himself back to center. "I...detect at least four separate individuals. Rita is near, but not directly among them."

"Okay." Sulu picked up an intact glass beaker and whipped it at one of the shelves. It collided with the other breakable objects there, and they all clattered to the floor with a racket that made Spock's sensitive ears ring.

"Mr. Sulu - !"

"If we could lure them back here, it might give the Captain a better chance. Mayhem, remember?" Sulu grabbed the burnt out computer console and hefted it over his head - a feat he never would have managed without his power suit - and aimed it towards the double doors that led to the corridor.

"Wait, I have another tactic in mind," Spock said before Sulu could let loose. He moved closer to the door, reducing the distance between himself and the outpost personnel he sensed up ahead. Calming himself, he focused on them again, attempting to draw out the surviving remnants of who they had been. If could somehow get their minds to organize again, to remember their duty...

All of the sudden, Spock's consciousness was filled with a presence so chaotic and volatile that it blasted through the tenuous link and nearly knocked him off his feet: _"WHO ARE YOU?"_ His recent memories of his two run-ins with Zordon sprang unbidden to the front of his mind. _"MORE RANGERS!"_

Spock felt as though he'd been dunked in ice water as Rita's alien thoughts and memories poured into his mind. They were of a battle between two immensely powerful creatures vying for the same prize...a battle charged with feelings of hurt, fury, _BETRAYAL_. Rita standing over her fallen foe, filled with blood lust, a desire to hurt, to torment. And then, there was unending darkness, a void so cold and empty nothing could fill it, not impotent rage, not boredom, which turned to crushing loneliness and fear...and then to distorted, warped, uncontrolled evil _madness._

_"DIE, RANGER! KILL YOU ALL!" _Rita's voice screeched through Spock's mind, crippling his control entirely.


	3. Chapter 3

"Spock! Spock" Terrified by the uncharacteristic scream of his Vulcan commander, Sulu dropped the computer console and gave Spock a strong shake to snap him out of it. Spock stopped screaming, stopped holding the sides of his helmet in pain, and turned on Sulu.

"Kill you all!" Spock cried, nailing Sulu in the chest with a punch that sent him flying across the lab.

Sulu managed to recover himself in mid-air and land on his hands and knees, winded. He heard Spock scream again in anger and looked up in time to see Spock charging at him. "Commander!" Sulu cried desperately. He quickly ducked out of the way, sticking out one foot in hopes of tripping Spock. But Spock's reflexes were naturally quicker than Sulu's, and magnified by his black power suit. Spock leapt over Sulu.

Sulu scrambled back from Spock, towards the double doors. Behind him, he heard Spock shift something around. Getting up, Sulu saw Spock grab the burnt-out computer console and whip it effortlessly towards Sulu. "Die, Ranger! Aaaahahahaha!" Spock shrieked.

Sulu instantly realized what was going on, and ducked to avoid the flying console. He wasn't quite fast enough, and it clipped him in the knee painfully. Belatedly, Sulu also realized he'd ducked himself into a corner. "Rita, let him go!"

"Why should I?" Rita asked through Spock's mouth. "He was the one who contacted me! And how lucky for me that he did! He's much more powerful than you are, little Blue Ranger. But still no match for me!" Under Rita's influence, Spock grabbed a section of wiring that had fallen from the ceiling and easily pulled it apart in a shower of sparks. Holding the two sparking ends, Rita made Spock advance towards Sulu.

"Spock! I know you're in there, Spock, don't let her do it! You're stronger than her, Commander, I know it!" Sulu argued desperately. He knew very little about Vulcans. He knew they were contact telepaths, but full-on mind control just wasn't something they'd covered in command training!

"_Spock _is my toy, now! Prepare to DIE!" Rita made Spock growl, lunging at Sulu with the sparking wires.

Playing a hunch, Sulu whipped off his glove and dove at Spock's feet, grabbing his ankle as Spock continued his forward leap. Sulu gripped Spock's boot tightly, causing it to pop off unceremoniously as Spock fell over him. Twisting around, Sulu grabbed Spock's foot with his exposed hand. "Commander Spock!" he cried.

* * *

Between dragging the _Enterprise_ in orbit_, _directing the spiky beast on the roof and possessing the Vulcan in the back room, Rita didn't hear anyone approach, call out her name or fire a single shot at her until numbing pain suddenly tore through her side and knocked her over. The lights in the room went dark for a moment as she struggled to collect herself.

"Rita Repulsa, I demand you release the _Enterprise _at once," the Gold Ranger intoned forcefully, strutting towards her, his glittering Golden Gun cocked and aimed.

For one crucial, shocked moment, Rita forgot everything except the sight of that barrel pointing at her face. The Golden Gun's beam had temporarily paralyzed her. She couldn't get up. It was only a second - _less _than a second, surely! - but as soon as it happened, Rita realized she had lost everything.

No! Not everything! There, in the shadows, her minions were lurking, cowering like brainless lumps. She grinned as they started to lurch over and surround the Gold Ranger.

* * *

"Mr. Scott, we're loose!" the ensign at the helm of the _Enterprise _announced.

"About bloody time! Fix our orbit!" Scotty ordered, sitting uneasily in the center chair. He leapt out of it. "Raise shields to maximum and take us to Warp as soon as we're clear of the atmosphere."

"Aye, sir."

"What about Jim and Spock and the others? You ain't gonna leave 'em?" McCoy demanded.

"Well, I don't want to, but you heard the Captain's orders: if we got the chance, we were to get away from here. Well, here's our chance. Status, Simmons?"

The ensign at helm was pushing buttons rapidly. "We're gaining altitude, sir. Fifteen seconds to breakaway."

"What if they need our help?" McCoy argued.

"What if whatever just let us go gets a hold of us again and crashes us for good this time? I'm taking us to extreme scanning range, hopefully far enough that it can't grab us, and we'll monitor the situation from there. It's all we can do, Doctor."

Still clearly displeased, McCoy relented and backed away.

"Thank you. Simmons?"

"Warp drive in four, three, two, one!" Simmons pushed the lever, and everyone braced themselves as the ship shuddered, and flew to a speed faster than light.

* * *

The spiky monster dropped Chekov. It just opened its hand and let him fall to the ground. Then it slowly lowered its arm and started to list to the side a little, making a few rather pathetic moaning noises.

As surprised as she was at the unexpected change in their luck, Uhura didn't hesitate. She took a running leap at the monster, thrusting her foot out in a kick that landed squarely on the monster's chest, between two broken spikes. The monster began to topple with an angry growl. It swiped the air, missing Uhura widely. Landing, she loosed several of her throwing stars again at point-blank range, watching in satisfaction as they tore right through the creature, sending a spray of pulverized mineral dust into the air.

"Ensign, are you all right?" she paused to ask, catching the stars.

"KIIIAA!" Chekov cried, performing a handspring towards the monster. He pulled out his staff and, gripping it with both hands, quickly began to knock the monster back towards a hole in the wall. The monster attempted to shoot more spikes, but Chekov shattered them with a sweep of his staff. Then, bracing his foot on the monster's chest, he pushed the thing out of the hole with a satisfied grunt. Uhura joined him at the edge, watching the monster fall, striking and shattering several crystal supports on the way down until it looked like little more than a collection of rubble.

Uhura turned to stare in surprise at the seventeen-year old, picking up on his racing heartbeat. But she could see nothing beyond his helmet's dark visor. He turned his head towards her. "What a rush! I'm fine," he said lightly, adding, "What was that you said about my combat training?"

"Nothing, Ensign," she said truthfully.

Chekov chuckled proudly. "Damn straight!" he said, clearly attempting to sound macho, and clearly failing.

Uhura let him lead the way towards the lower level, grinning madly to herself. She couldn't let it go. "It was your stealth that needed practice, Ensign."

* * *

Spock remembered hearing Rita screaming inside his head, then suddenly it was Sulu, shouting his name. Recognizing Sulu brought on a wave of memory: the _Enterprise, _Vulcan, his father, and Jim. He came crashing to the floor, finally alone in his own head, reeling with a bunch of vague, dreamlike impressions of going after Sulu with...

He noticed he was still clutching the electrical wires and threw them aside, quickly rising to his feet. He turned around to see Sulu righting himself. "Mr. Sulu, are you unharmed?" he asked.

Sulu snapped into a defensive posture. "Commander Spock? Are you...you?"

"Rita is no longer controlling me. I - " Spock paused, looking down at himself and noticing his missing boot. He spotted Sulu's exposed hand, and it all made sense. " - thank you, Lieutenant. You displayed exceptional reasoning. Your mental influence, combined with Rita's other distractions, proved just enough to break her hold over - " Spock snapped his head towards the doors again, sensing a familiar presence...Jim, in danger. "Come, Sulu, our presence is required."

The two of them charged through the doors and down the corridor. Up ahead, Spock saw Rita's throne room. Her cackle echoed down the hallway, but it sounded strained. He could just see Jim in his gold uniform, being swarmed by Rita's minions.

Spock heard Sulu draw his sword. "We've got to help him, Mr. Spock!"

Spock could tell that Rita's attention was completely focused on her minions and on Jim. She was in a weakened position. Spock prepared himself to attempt telepathic contact with her minions a second time. He stopped and lowered himself into a crouch.

"Commander, what are you doing? You're not going to try that again, are you?" Sulu demanded nervously.

"I am better prepared this time. I detect Uhura and Chekov are entering the vicinity, and if you would please join them in a direct confrontation against Rita, it would substantially improve the odds of my success in freeing both the Captain, and potentially, the outpost personnel as well."

"Ah, I see what you mean, Mr. Spock," Sulu said slowly, nodding. He tested the edge of his beautiful blue Sapphire Sword. "Be careful, sir."

"Same to you, Mr. Sulu."

Spock closed his eyes and began to concentrate, only dimly aware of Sulu's footfalls as he ran off to join the melee.

* * *

Kirk's gold suit was made of tough stuff. Even though the terrifying monsters Rita had made from the outpost personnel hadn't been able to tear or cut through his suit, Kirk was sure he was going to be one massive bruise when it was all over. One was hanging on his back, trying to squeeze his throat shut and two others were attacking his legs, immobilizing him. He'd begun the fight fairly well off, throwing off each bumbling minion that attacked him. But then they'd suddenly come together and attacked him simultaneously. His gun had been knocked out of his hand, and now it was only the sheer strength of his power suit that was keeping him from being crushed under the onslaught.

"Now, Gold Ranger, you will die!" Rita shrieked, still half paralyzed on the floor.

"KIIAA!" a shrill, male voice cried, and one of the creatures clinging to Kirk's leg was knocked back by a whirl of green motion. Another's back came under attack by several red, glowing impacts, and it let him go and turned to seek out the attacker, enraged.

"Uhura! Chekov!" Kirk cried out in relief. Only the creature clinging to his back remained, and it was easy to flip it over his shoulder and send it crashing into the floor. Adopting a fighting stance, he turned around in time to see two more of the creatures charging at him. Kirk grinned to himself and leapt nimbly over them.

"HAAA!" another male voice cried out. When Kirk landed, he turned to see that the two charging monsters had run right into the path of Sulu, who was now battering them with a large, shiny blue sword.

Suddenly, a huge pair of arms closed around his torso and Kirk was lifted from the floor and thrown across the room. He managed to land rolling, but he hit hard and needed a moment to compose himself. He watched his officers engage in hand-to-hand combat with the monsters, and felt a swell of pride in his chest. But wait, where was Spock?

Kirk got up, and was about to call over the helmet conn. for his first officer, when something very strange happened. As if on cue, all seven of Rita's monsters suddenly stopped fighting. Stopped _moving._ Just froze where they were standing. Uhura, Chekov and Sulu paused, too, radiating as much confusion as Kirk felt.

"What are you boneheads doing?" Rita screamed, "KILL THE RANGERS!"

The monsters unfroze, but they still didn't resume their attack. They lowered their arms and looked around as if dazed.

Kirk hurriedly approached warily as he neared one of the monsters. It turned to stare at him, and Kirk noticed immediately that the red glow in its eyes was gone. Instead, it stared at him the eyes of a human being.

"NO, NO, NO, NO! ATTACK!" Rita shrieked desperately. "ATTACK!"

The creature staring at Kirk finally broke off the confused staring contest, looked at Rita, and scowled. "Shut up, you witch!" it growled irritably. "How dare you come into my base and start ordering us all around!"

Kirk's mouth dropped open. "Whaa - ?"

The creature turned back to Kirk. "I am Commander Osgood, of the Federation Outpost Iota Draconis. What the hell is going on here?"

"Commander Osgood?" another one of the creatures repeated slowly. "What happened to us?"

"NOOOOOO!" Rita wailed. Everyone appeared to wince.

Kirk saw his Golden Gun on the floor, picked it up, and aimed at Rita. "Didn't you hear the man? Shut up!" Rita's eyes fixed on the gun and her jaw snapped shut. Kirk turned to the monster identifying itself as Commander Osgood. "Commander, I'm not sure how this happened, but - "

"It's Mr. Spock, sir! He used his telepathy to break Rita's hold over the outpost personnel," Sulu cut in helpfully.

"He did? He did! Great!" Kirk responded, pleasantly surprised.

"We'll just see about that!" Rita hissed.

Kirk spun around to see her holding her staff with her unparalyzed hand. Before he could fire his gun, the tip of her staff suddenly exploded, struck by one of Uhura's red throwing stars.

"You lose, Rita!" Uhura exclaimed, catching her throwing stars as they circled back.

"NOOOOOO!" Rita shrieked again. Practically boiling with anger, she fixed Kirk with a enraged glare. "You've one this small battle, Rangers, but the war will be mine!" A shower of sparkles erupted all over Rita's body.

"A transporter beam!" Chekov gasped.

"No!" Kirk tried to lunge at Rita, but she faded away into the effervescence of energy, her broken staff in hand, leaving only a bare spot on the floor behind. "Damn!"

"Captain, look!" Chekov exclaimed.

Reluctantly, Kirk turned, and saw, to his deep surprise and relief, that the monsters were gone, replaced by seven worn, dazed looking humans in tattered Starfleet uniforms.

"When her staff broke, it must have reversed whatever she did to them," Uhura surmised.

"A likely hypothesis," said Spock, finally joining the group. "It is probable that the _Enterprise _has also been freed."

Kirk was elated. "Spock! Great job!" he said, slapping his first officer on the arm.

"Who _are _you people?" the restored Commander Osgood asked.

Kirk looked at his teammates before answering: "We're the Power Rangers, Commander. Now let's get this base back in shape." Kirk heard a beeping inside his helmet. Zordon was recalling them to the cave. He gestured to his teammates, who all nodded. They were receiving the beacon, too. "Well, we gotta go, Commander. But the Enterpriseshould be in orbit, ready and willing to help you guys out."

Standing apart, the five of them were suffused with colored beams of light, and zapped from the outpost into the cave with Alpha and Zordon. They were also de-morphed back in their Starfleet uniforms.

"Congratulations, Rangers. You have saved your outpost, and your ship," said Zordon. "You fought well and used both your powers and your natural abilities responsibly. I am very proud of you."

There was a degree of paternal pride in Zordon's voice that registered deeply with Kirk. "Thank you, Zordon. We were glad to be able to help. But it looks like Rita got away from us. I'm sorry."

"Yes, James. Rita is cunning and resourceful and was able to adapt your Federation technology to beam herself someplace out of reach. There is no doubt that she will emerge again elsewhere to continue her quest for domination. And as long as Rita remains at-large, the universe will need a team of Power Rangers to defend it against her. You have all proven your worth and ability as individuals and as a team. With your Starship and my power, you would be able to meet Rita's challenge, wherever she is.

"If you wish you stay as Power Rangers," Zordon continued, "you must agree to three basic rules. One, you must never use your powers for personal gain. Two, you must not use your powers to escalate the fight; your powers are to be used against Rita and her agents only. And third, it is very important that you keep your identities secret. Tell no one that you are Power Rangers. Do you agree?

Kirk looked at his crew. Starfleet's finest, they'd already taken on so much responsibility. "What do you think, guys?"

"Aye," said Chekov, eagerly.

With a determined look on his face, Sulu agreed: "Aye."

"Aye," Uhura nodded, crossing her arms, poised to meet any challenge.

Spock was almost unreadable. "Aye."

"Aye." Kirk looked at Zordon. "Zordon, it would be our honor to serve as your Power Rangers in the battle against Rita."

"Excellent! Then you are now officially Power Rangers. In a moment, Alpha will be able to transport you back to the _Enterprise._"

Chekov and Sulu exchanged a high-five, then shared one with Uhura, who whooped excitedly. Kirk grinned at them and nudged Spock, who wore a slightly disapproving expression on his face. "Why so serious, Spock? We just saved the day."

"I know that, Captain, I was just considering a minor problem."

"What problem?"

"The mission log, sir. How do you intend to make our report to Starfleet without violating Zordon's terms?" He raised an eyebrow. "Lie?"

Kirk grinned, masking some apprehension at the Vulcan's intimidating gaze. "Absolutely not, Mr. Spock. Seems to me what happened was an alien sorceress named Rita took over the base and transformed the personnel. We were warned by another alien named Zordon to stay out of the way, but when we attempted to beam down and rescue our people, we were imprisoned out of sight in the basement until Zordon's team of Power Rangers showed up, rescued us and freed the base. They disappeared before we could question them. Recommend Starfleet keep a wary eye out for Rita." Kirk shrugged. "You know, the truth. You planning to say something different in yours?"

Spock regarded him quietly a moment. "That is a...logical explanation for the events witnessed on the ground and aboard ship. My report will be in agreement."

Kirk relaxed and grinned more broadly. "Thanks, Spock."

"Oh, I wish you didn't have to leave so soon, Rangers!" Alpha lamented. "It's been ten thousand years since we last had guests here."

"Don't worry, Alpha. I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon," Uhura remarked. She was standing beside the small robot at one of the crystal banks, carefully manipulating the assortment of gems. She looked at Kirk. "Captain, I've got communications with _Enterprise._"

"From here? Great. Tell them to prepare for our return, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir." Uhura transmitted the message, and then rejoined Sulu, Chekov, Kirk and Spock in the center of the floor.

"Farewell, Power Rangers. We will meet again," Zordon said.

"We'll be watching for Rita, Zordon. Together, we'll protect the Federation, and the Galaxy. Alpha, send us up."

"Aye, yi, Rangers!"

~ FIN ~


End file.
